- Date
- August 25, 1990, 10:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Longmont, CO
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N31838Piper PA-28R201T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900825066299A
- Case key
- 17981
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Loss of engine power due to fuel starvation for undetermined reasons resulting in a forced landing while the landing gear was still in transit.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The private pilot reported during initial climb, the engine quit. Half the runway remained and the pilot made a forced landing from 100 feet AGL. The pilot had retracted the landing gear, but attempted to lower it for the landing. The plane touched down with the gear still in transit. The plane slid to the right side and came to rest off the end and to the right of the runway. The right wing spar was damaged. The investigation showed that the gascolator and engine fuel system contained only traces of fuel, the left tank contained 12 gallons and the right contained 5 gallons of fuel. The left tank was selected for takeoff, but the right was selected after the engine quit. A postaccident engine run was normal and provided no evidence to explain the apparent fuel interruption. FAA tests showed that with 12 gallons, the normal nose up angle for takeoff could have unported. The fuel supply. These tests were conducted under field conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31838
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R201T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7803301
- Airframe hours
- 2,045
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-FB1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John Seabury
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 4, 1990 · 98 hours before
- Departed
- 2V2
- Destination
- 5CO0 · Parkland, CO
- Airport
- 2V2 · Vance Brand, runway 11, 4,800 × 75 ft, concrete
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 772 total · 239 in this make and model · 666 as pilot in command · 61 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.